André 3000 had an unforgettable experience recording for UGK’s ‘Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)’—especially with Pimp C’s fiery reaction.
- Pimp C was furious when he first heard André 3000’s verse without the beat.
- André 3000 shared this amusing tale on LeBron James’ The Shop series.
- Veteran A&R Jeff Sledge also recounted a similar story on a podcast.
- Juicy J revealed some surprising behind-the-scenes facts about the song.
UGK and OutKast’s ‘International Players Anthem (I Choose You)’ is a certified classic, but the road to its creation wasn’t smooth. Appearing on LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s show, The Shop, André 3000 revealed that the late rapper Pimp C was ‘really mad’ at him for making a bold choice with his verse.
‘Rest in peace Pimp [C], but I got a [funny] story about that,’ André shared when Paul Rivera quizzed him about his verse. ‘Pimp was so mad at me because they sent the beat and I wrote my verse, put my words down, and I took the beat out for me to rap.’
When André sent his version back, Pimp C exploded. ‘Fuck this muthafucka, man! This n-gga done goddamn took my beat out! Who the fuck he think he is?!’ Pimp C was livid over the absence of the beat. However, Bun B or someone else in the crew helped calm him down by explaining that the beat drop would ‘set it off’ and enhance the song.
Once Pimp C understood the artistic choice, he was on board. ‘Okay, okay,’ he conceded, but it was clear he was initially furious. Veteran A&R Jeff Sledge confirmed this story on ItsTheReal’s podcast, mentioning Pimp C’s anger at receiving André’s beat-less verse. ‘He was going off about André taking the drums out,’ Sledge recalled.
Juicy J, who co-produced the track with DJ Paul, shared another fascinating tidbit. Initially, the song was meant for Three 6 Mafia, but label politics interfered. ‘Me and Paul had did a verse on that first,’ Juicy J revealed. ‘Then they put OutKast on it. I didn’t even know. I was like,
‘Fuck! Put our verses back on it! André 3000 and muthafucking Big Boi? Legendary.’
Juicy J was angry when he discovered what happened. The label didn’t inform him that they couldn’t clear Three 6 Mafia’s verses. He felt blindsided but eventually understood it was all label politics.
In the end, all the behind-the-scenes drama only added to the legend of ‘Int’l Players Anthem.’
